Jessica Lovejoy: Bart's girlfriend

CharacterJessica Lovejoy

The showrunner wanted to give Bart a girlfriend more wicked than he was: Jessica Lovejoy, the reverend's daughter, turns up in "Bart's Girlfriend" (1994) and delivers. What follows: the stolen collection money Bart takes the blame for, the reverend's stubborn belief in his daughter's innocence, Lisa's unmasking of her — the money was under the mattress — and the final admission: she steals to get her father's attention. Behind the scenes, Meryl Streep, her original voice, asked Nancy Cartwright for an autograph. An ending without the slightest moral, explained.

She has the face of a choirgirl, the voice of Meryl Streep and the record of a girl expelled from boarding school. In a single episode, Jessica Lovejoy pulled off what nobody had managed before her.

Giving Bart Simpson a lesson in delinquency. Here is her profile.

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Who is Jessica Lovejoy?

Jessica Lovejoy is the only daughter of Reverend Timothy Lovejoy and his wife Helen. Expelled from her boarding school, she returns to Springfield hiding a manipulative, thieving temperament behind a perfect choirgirl façade. She appears in "Bart's Girlfriend" (1994).

🎒 Jessica did back-to-school in reverse: expelled from her boarding school, she headed back to Springfield. For your own trips to school, our Simpsons backpacks carry your notebooks in the right direction.

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The bad seed of the parsonage

The showrunner's idea was crystal clear: give Bart a girlfriend more wicked than he was. Fascinated, Bart falls under her spell — she tells him "you're bad, and I like it" — before realizing that he is only a toy in her hands. He will describe her nicely as a piece of candy: sweet on the outside, poison inside. She is Bart's first mutual girlfriend.

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The stolen collection

Jessica's masterstroke: she steals the church collection money and lets Bart be accused in her place. Her father at first refuses to believe she could be guilty and keeps piling on the boy — until Lisa unmasks her, the money being found under her mattress. Jessica finally admits that she steals simply to get her father's attention. Sentenced to scrub the church steps, she manipulates Bart one last time into finishing the job for her: an ending deliberately stripped of any moral.

🛌 The collection money didn't stand a chance against Lisa: it was sleeping under Jessica's mattress. On your bed, our Simpsons cushions hide nothing more incriminating than your next nap.

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Meryl Streep behind the scenes

In the original version, Jessica is voiced by Meryl Streep — credited simply as "Jessica", with no surname. The actress recorded as a duo with Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart), who arrived alone and without an entourage. A delicious footnote: at the end of the session, it was Streep who asked Cartwright for an autograph, her children being fans of the show.

📱 Meryl Streep wrapped up the session by asking Nancy Cartwright for an autograph for her children, fans of the show. The day you run into a voice you admire, your phone will hold the proof of the meeting: slip it into one of our Simpsons iPhone cases first.

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Summary table

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FAQ

• Who is Jessica Lovejoy?
  Reverend Lovejoy's daughter, a manipulator who becomes Bart's girlfriend for the length of a 1994 episode.
• What does she do to Bart?
  She steals the church collection money and lets him be accused in her place, before being unmasked by Lisa.
• Why does she steal?
  She finally admits that she does it to get her father's attention.
• Who voices Jessica in the original version?
  Meryl Streep, in her only speaking role on the show.

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Conclusion

Charming, formidable and entirely unpunished, Jessica Lovejoy is Bart's ideal rival. A one-episode character who, without ever drawing a lesson, left a mark on a whole generation of fans.

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